Volume 1 — Home-Made Pocket Lamp

A simple and safe pocket lamp that will last for about 6 months without extra expense can be made at home for a few cents.

Have your druggist take a strong vial of clear glass, or a pill bottle with screw or cork top and put into it a piece of phosphorus about the size of a pea and fill the bottle one-third full of pure olive oil that has been heated for 15 minutes—but not boiled. Cork tightly and the result will be a luminous light in the upper portion of the bottle. If the light becomes dim, uncork and recork again. The lamp will retain its brilliancy for about 6 months. This makes a perfectly safe lamp to carry. These lamps are used by watchmen of powder magazines. Care should be exercised in handling the phosphorus, as it is very poisonous.